UNEP/CMS/COP11/CRP33
8 November 2014
Amendments proposed in session
DRAFT RESOLUTION
RESTRUCTURING OF THE SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL
Aware of the provisions of Article VIII of the Convention and recalling the
establishment by Resolution 1.4 of the Scientific Council, made up of members appointed by
the Conference of the Parties and members appointed by individual Contracting Parties;
Also recalling the provisions of Resolutions 3.4, 4.5, 6.7, 7.12 and 8.21, dealing with
various aspects of the composition, functions and operation of the Scientific Council;
Acknowledging the fundamental contribution to the implementation of the Convention
made by the Scientific Council since its establishment;
Further recalling that the Future Shape process undertaken during the triennium 20082011 identified the restructuring of the Scientific Council as one of the sixteen target activities
for CMS, as outlined in Resolution 10.9 on Future Structure and Strategies for CMS and the
CMS Family, and Resolution 10.1 on Financial and Administrative Matters; and
Welcoming the document prepared by the Secretariat on options for a revision of the
operational organization of the Scientific Council (UNEP/CMS/COP11/Doc.17.1);
The Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
1.
Reaffirms that the Scientific Council will continue to be composed of members
appointed by individual Parties (Party-appointed Councillors) and members appointed by the
Conference of the Parties (COP-appointed Councillors);
2.
Further reaffirms that Parties will continue to appoint qualified experts as members of
the Scientific Council and that Party-appointed Councillors will continue to contribute to the
work of the Council in their expert capacity and not as representatives of the Parties that
appointed them;
3.
Decides that, for each intersessional period between two consecutive meetings of the
Conference of the Parties, a representative selection of the membership of the Scientific
Council, to be named the Sessional Committee of the Scientific Council, should be identified,
composed of COP-appointed Councillors, and Party-appointed Councillors selected
regionally, to be appointed at each ordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties on the
basis of a recommendation from the Secretariat in consultation with the Standing Committee;
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4.
Further decides that, for future triennia, unless otherwise decided by the Conference
of Parties, the Sessional Committee of the Scientific Council will be composed of:
i)
Nine COP-appointed members with expertise in taxonomic and thematic issues;
ii)
Fifteen Party-appointed members selected within the Standing Committee geographic
regions, as follows: three from Africa; three from Asia; three from Europe; three from
Oceania; three from South and Central America and the Caribbean;
5.
Decides that Sessional Committee members shall normally be nominated for a
minimum term of two triennia; half of the first appointees shall be nominated for a single
triennium. Each ordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties, starting from the 12th
meeting (COP12), will decide upon the renewal of half of the membership of the Sessional
Committee, in order to balance continuity and renewal;
6.
Decides that, in appointing members to the Sessional Committee of the Scientific
Council from the pool of Party and COP-appointed Councillors, the Conference of the Parties
shall aim to achieve all of the following goals:
i)
a balanced scientific representation of expertise in taxonomic and cross-cutting
thematic areas;
ii)
a selection of individuals with a broad understanding of key scientific issues and
concrete experience in translating science into policy in their regions;
iii)
coverage of the predicted scientific expertise needed by the Convention for the next
triennium;
7.
Requests the Secretariat to provide for a consultative process, including Party,
scientific and expert advice, in order to elaborate its recommendation in consultation with the
Standing Committee to the Conference of the Parties on the composition of the Sessional
Committee, observing the goals stated in the previous paragraph;
8.
Encourages Party- and COP-appointed Councillors not included in the Sessional
Committee to contribute to the work of the Scientific Council, coordinate with Sessional
Committee members and participate in working groups, including through meetings and the
interactive tools available to the Scientific Council, as well as to pursue activities at the
national level;
9.
Requests the Standing Committee at its 44th Meeting, in order to facilitate the
convening of the first meeting of the Sessional Committee before COP12 to intersessionally
select and appoint the Sessional Committee members in accordance with the procedure set out
in Paragraphs 6 and 7;
10.
Decides that, for all the effects and purposes outlined in Article VIII of the Convention
and relevant resolutions, the advice, recommendations, and all other outputs of the Sessional
Committee shall be considered by the Conference of the Parties and all relevant governing
bodies as products of the Scientific Council itself;
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11.
Instructs the Secretariat to develop Terms of Reference for the Scientific Council, in
consultation with the Council itself, with a view to their submission to the Standing
Committee at its 44th Meeting for review and provisional adoption, pending their final
adoption by COP12;
12.
Requests the Scientific Council, with advice from the Secretariat, to develop and
establish a revision of its Rules of Procedure, as well as elements of its modus operandi in
accordance with this resolution;
13.
Mandates the Standing Committee to approve the revised Rules of Procedure of the
Scientific Council;
14.
Requests the Scientific Council to submit a report on the implementation of this
resolution to COP12; and
15.
Decides to evaluate the results of the present restructuring of the Scientific Council
with a view to confirm or review it during COP14.
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